My friends and I are planning a road trip this coming April, and do a bit of camping as well. Since many of the places we're going to stay are pretty much new to us, one of my friends was thinking that it might be a lot safer if we sleep in a tent truck rather than on the ground. Of course, if we rent one for the trip, it's going to cost us more money than just taking our tents and pitching them. Has anyone tried using truck tents? Feedback is highly appreciated.

I've spent quite a few nights on truck beds in the past, and I wouldn't really recommend it if you're going to go on a road trip. Truck tents can be quite a hassle to set up and tear down. You'll probably be spending quite a lot of time just doing that on the road. Also, they don't have any padding for your bed so that means that you need to also bring an air mattress at least to make things more comfortable.

If you or one of your friend has got a truck, then truck tenting would be fine. Just make sure that you get a good air mattress so that you can stay comfortable while you're sleeping. You can get air mattresses that are designed for truck beds, complete with places where the tire wells would be, so it would lay flat and it will be more comfortable to sleep on. You can check in ebay or amazon. Found one last summer and gave it as a gift to a friend of mine for his birthday.

As for the tent, you don't have to be too fancy with it. Not sure what kind of camping you do (RVing or tent). But if you've done quite a bit of tent camping, you can just use the tent pole frame from one of your old tents and then use a tarp to cover it. Secure it with bungee cord tied to tent poles to the ground. That will save you on bucks and time to set up and tear down.

Since you mentioned that you're planning to rent a truck for the trip, I'm guessing that none of you have one. Personally, I would recommend to just go ahead and tent camp on the ground, especially since you're concerned about the cost. If you're a bit wary on where to tent camp, I'd suggest to head over to the state parks. They're pretty safe and economical, too.

I agree with lizz. Part of the thrill of camping for me is to always be willing to try something new, even that means staying in a pretty new campground. If you or your friends are uneasy about sleeping on the ground in a federal or state park because of who knows what, you can also try camping in private campgrounds. I admit, they won't give you the same experience and compared to state and federal parks, they're way more expensive, but they are at least a bit more ummmm....sterile (for lack of a better term).